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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845174">Under The Weather</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galactic_fire/pseuds/Galactic_fire'>Galactic_fire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Cuddling, Dentophobia, Excessive use of healing potions, Fluff, FtM Legend (Linked Universe), Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Hyrule’s crop top is a back brace, Illnesses, Medical Conditions, Menstruation, Multichapter, Period Cramps, Scoliosis, Sickfic, Stomach Ache, The woes of being a canine shapeshifter, Toothache, Trans Male Character, Vegan Sky (Linked Universe), author has groovy spine syndrome 😎, food intolerance, oneshots, sorta - Freeform, tagging as I go along, tags got a little wonky oops, tooth extraction, vent fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:27:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26845174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galactic_fire/pseuds/Galactic_fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of short ficlets about the boys dealing with illness, medical conditions and injuries. </p><p>(Mainly hurt/comfort, I promise. Angst? Never heard of her.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>60</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>290</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Bunny in Shark Week (Legend)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Uh oh. Me starting a new series? It’s more likely than you think. </p><p>Anyway here’s “Tossing and Turning but it’s a bunch of sickfics now” (y’all remember Tossing and Turning? God, nostalgia). Bc y’all know I’m an absolute SLUT for sickfics right? They make my hurt/comfort heart go brrrrr. </p><p>Also here’s me refusing to let go of my FtM Legend headcannon from the Vai series. </p><p>Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Of all the members in the group of heroes, Twilight was often praised for being the most attentive. He would hear the stalking footsteps of monsters before the group could be ambushed. He would accompany Wild hunting and would spot out prey far in the distance with a keen eye. If something was to happen, the Ordonion would have likely predicted it moments before. </p><p> </p><p>Yet what most of the group didn’t know was the reason <em> why </em>Twilight had such keen senses. </p><p> </p><p>That reason, of course, lay with the beast they had come to call “Wolfie”. </p><p> </p><p>Twilight could have never predicted that shifting to his wolf form so often would’ve heightened his human abilities. Yet from the physical marks it left on his face, he wasn’t entirely surprised. </p><p> </p><p>His ears picked up sound far further than the average Hylian. His eyes saw flitters of movement entirely instinctually. But one sense that rarely came into play was Twilight’s <em> impeccable </em>sense of smell. </p><p> </p><p>Yes, it was rare his nose was ever helpful. In fact, it was usually more of a hindrance to the poor hero (having to smell the constant stench of monster guts easily came to mind). But on this certain occasion, Twilight had his nose to thank…</p><p> </p><p>They had been walking all day now in an unknown Hyrule, their hopes of finding a town or village dwindling with the setting sun. As luck would have it though, a cliffside in the nearby distance looked as if it contained the promise of a cave to huddle up in for the night. </p><p> </p><p>Twilight however, had been on edge all day. The nervous feeling in his stomach simply would not go away until he was able to address the cause. Because since very early on in the day, an unmistakable scent had been wafting along with the group and leaving the Ordonion in a state of unease. </p><p> </p><p>It was the scent of <em> blood.  </em></p><p> </p><p>At first Twilight had been unable to pinpoint where exactly the lingering odor had been coming from, but soon he was able to track down the culprit...and it had surprised him:</p><p> </p><p><em> Legend </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Why was Legend smelling so much of blood? Twilight had hypothesized a few ideas but none had really made sense. He wouldn’t be carrying any sort of bloody meat, no, that was the cook’s duty. Nor would he have forgotten to wash after a battle. Legend was one of the cleaner ones in the group...</p><p> </p><p>Eventually the only logical conclusion still seemed out of character for the veteran:</p><p> </p><p>He was hiding a wound from the others. </p><p> </p><p>Twilight couldn’t quite wrap his head around as to <em> why </em> he would do such a thing. The veteran, if anyone, should have known how much of a bad idea that was and just how quickly wounds could become infected. Yet the way he was behaving too led the ranch hand to believe this was what was happening. </p><p> </p><p>Legend had been strangely quiet all day. Not even a word of snark had left his mouth. He looked pale. His pace was slower than usual. Something was very clearly <em> wrong.  </em></p><p> </p><p>As a cave finally came into view and there was a sigh of relief from the gang, Twilight knew he would have to confront him about this…</p><p> </p><p>It was about a half hour later that Twilight was finally able to speak with the pink haired hero. Not long after Time had confirmed the cave was monster free, Legend had momentarily disappeared. When he reappeared, Twilight noted the blood smell was much fainter now, yet his cause for concern hadn’t left. Legend had quickly grabbed a bedroll from the supplies and curled up into it as soon as he’d returned, clearly still in some sort of pain. </p><p> </p><p>As the ranch hand meekly approached him, Legend flinched slightly at the sudden hand on his shoulder, turning to glare at the worried hero. </p><p> </p><p>“Vet?” Twilight spoke, his voice was soft yet commanding. </p><p> </p><p>“Mmm?”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>Legend stiffened, huddling up a little more into the blanket with a mumble. </p><p> </p><p>“Nothin’ Twi. Jus’ tired. Leave me alone.”</p><p> </p><p>That clearly wasn’t the right answer as Twilight lowered his voice, wondering how discreetly he’d be able to word this. </p><p> </p><p>“You smell of blood.”</p><p> </p><p>Goddess, that wasn’t discreet. </p><p> </p><p>Legend flinched, his face turning a dark crimson as he turned to glare once again…</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What?!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Ahh...sorry…” Twilight all but whispered, hoping the chatty group behind them wasn’t eavesdropping. “I don’t mean to be rude, but you <em> do </em>smell of blood. You know I pick up smells easily, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Legend was silent as the ranch hand scooted closer to him, the veteran’s blush deepening. </p><p> </p><p>“Legend…” Spoke Twilight, gentler this time. “You should’ve said something if you were hurt. C’mon, let’s get you a healing potion. No need to hide it anymore…”</p><p> </p><p>The veteran remained silent, giving the Ordonion a few disbelieving blinks before facepalming with a muffled groan of <em> “mother of Hylia”.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” Queried Twilight. </p><p> </p><p>“I would’ve thought <em> you </em>of all people would have pieced it together by now…”</p><p> </p><p>Twilight frowned. “What…are you talking about?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not fuckin’ hurt Twi!” The veteran hissed, “I-I’m-“</p><p> </p><p>“Is everything alright back there?” </p><p> </p><p>The lower voice of the old man echoed against the cave walls, causing both of the boys to pause. Twilight shot a glance back at Legend, who in turn motioned his head toward the entrance of the cave, sending a clear message to the other hero: “I want to speak in private.”</p><p> </p><p>“E-Everything’s alright Time.” Twilight confirmed quickly, turning back to face their leader. “But Legend and I are going outside for a moment, is that alright?”</p><p> </p><p>The eldest raised a brow suspiciously, but nodded, prompting the two to bring their weapons as they left. Traveling far enough into the thicket that they would be inaudible, Twilight finally turned around to face the veteran. </p><p> </p><p>“So what’s wrong Legend?”</p><p> </p><p>With an outward sigh, casting his head to air, Legend let out an inaudible mumble before lowering his head to lock eyes with the Ordonion. </p><p> </p><p>“We had a talk, Twi, not too long ago, remember?” He spoke matter-of-factly. “Remember that night when I told you that I was born a woman?”</p><p> </p><p>Twilight nodded, still rather confused as to where this was going. He did indeed remember that night. It had been a moment of deep secrecy that was shared between the two. He wondered just how many other people Legend had told...if perhaps he was one of the lucky few that the veteran had come to trust…</p><p> </p><p>“Remember when I said that I’m...well...still carrying round some...parts I don’t desire…” The hero fumbled with his words, obviously embarrassed to be re-sharing this information while continuing to get more ticked off that Twi didn’t quite understand. </p><p> </p><p>“Twi..” Legend deadpanned “What happens to women every month?” </p><p> </p><p>The other hero simply stared, the cogs in his brain taking a moment to spin before his lightbulb moment. </p><p> </p><p>Oh</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>It was Twilight’s turn for a blush to paint his face. </p><p> </p><p>“You-“ he gasped. “You- you’re-“</p><p> </p><p>“Menstruating” Legend muttered, lowering his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my Hylia” Twilight breathed, burying his head into his hands in shame. “I should’ve realized...I’m so sorry…”. </p><p> </p><p>“Whatever…” the veteran shrugged. “You were only lookin’ out for me, I understand…”</p><p> </p><p>The Ordonion raised his head from his hands before giving the other a frown of pity. </p><p> </p><p>“You must be in pain right now…”</p><p> </p><p>Legend blushed again slightly before looking down at the grass. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be alright…” he mumbled. </p><p> </p><p>“Vet we have plenty of healing potions in the supplies, I’m sure if you need one to help the pain we can-“</p><p> </p><p>“Twi!” Legend barked, stopping the other mid sentence before lowering his voice again. “I said I’ll be alright…”</p><p> </p><p>Though his fear for the safety of his teammate was now quelled, the uncomfortable mixture of pity and guilt that now lay in Twilight’s gut made him feel no better about the situation. He’d embarrassed Legend a lot, no doubt and there was little he could do to offer any sort of comfort. </p><p> </p><p>“C’mon.” Legend spoke dryly. “Let’s go back.”</p><p> </p><p>Twilight followed as the other lead the way. </p><p> </p><p>_____</p><p> </p><p>Hours later, after dinner had been eaten and the nightly banter had ended, while the others were asleep Legend found himself curled up in his bedroll still. His abdomen ached like hell as he held his stomach in his hands with gritted teeth. </p><p> </p><p>Stupid fucking period. </p><p> </p><p>Why did he have to endure the goddesses’ cruel reminder of a part of himself he’d left behind long ago?</p><p> </p><p>As another spasm of pain hit him he blinked back the tears forming in his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>He longed to be home right now, a warm bed in a familiar place would feel so much nicer than this damp cave floor. </p><p> </p><p>This damp cave floor...that had smaller than human footprints echoing on it…</p><p> </p><p>Turning round in alarm, Legend’s momentary panic was quelled as he saw an all too familiar face looking down at him, before the culprit came to lay by the hero’s side. </p><p> </p><p>Legend had to chuckle. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re feeling bold tonight…” he told the wolf quietly, the canine huffing at him in response. </p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing like this, Twilight?” He asked. </p><p> </p><p>The wolf, of course, could not respond, but rather shuffled closer toward the hero. At first Legend scooted away, not liking the intrusion on his personal space. But as he felt a newfound warm radiating from the wolf’s body heat, he realized what Twi was doing. Helping. </p><p> </p><p>Legend chuckled once more, running a hand along the grey fur of his companion. </p><p> </p><p>“Stupid dog…” </p><p> </p><p>The slobbery tongue he received on his cheek in retaliation caused him to reel back in disgust. If wolves could laugh, that was what Twilight would be doing. Legend didn’t appreciate kisses...especially from humans disguising themselves as cute fluffy animals…</p><p> </p><p>Wolfie cuddled closer and Legend, as embarrassed as he was, could not resist letting himself bury into that warm fur. It was just enough to ease his worst aches and Twilight seemed to know that. </p><p> </p><p>Running one more hand down the other’s back, Legend let out a small whisper:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Thank you…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Soon after, both heroes were overtaken with some much needed sleep. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. We’ve Got Your Back (Hyrule)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Something is wrong with Hyrule. He’s not sure what. But one night as Sky gives him a massage they find out the answer.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Scoliosis...</p>
<p>Ah me and scoliosis go waaaay back. </p>
<p>Yeah tbh I was gonna wait til last to write this one because it seemed like a pretty heavy but bittersweet one to end on but guess that didn’t happen lol. </p>
<p>Yeah if you haven’t figured already this is a (sorta) vent/projection fic. Though my scoliosis is kinda different (in that I had surgery for it about 6 years ago) a lot of experiences in pain are often shared by other sufferers. I guess it’s also in part to raise awareness for the condition. It’s a hidden disability that so many people have to endure. So if you have a buddy with scoliosis, look out for them, ok?</p>
<p>Anyway fic time.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Something was wrong with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was sure of it now. No matter how many times he had told himself he was overreacting and being a hypochondriac, the feeling of unease never left. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Because Hyrule noticed things about himself compared to the other heroes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were days when the group would walk for a couple of hours and without fail Hyrule would always end up trailing behind, fatigued. They assumed that Hyrule just wasn’t used to long distance travels by foot. Except that didn’t make sense. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>was. </span>
  </em>
  <span>They literally had nicknamed him </span>
  <em>
    <span>The Traveler </span>
  </em>
  <span>for Hylia’s sake. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No. It had to be something else. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyrule himself assumed he had lost his hero’s touch. That age had worn him down. But that also didn’t make sense. He was only eighteen. By all means others like Time and Warriors should have been the ones to feel strain from travel, not him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If that was the only anomaly, the traveler wouldn’t have been too concerned. Yet the further his journey progressed, the more nagging details would come into play. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sometimes he woke up with muscle pain somewhere on his body. From his neck, to his shoulders down to his hip and calves and anywhere in between. It was as if his body spun a wheel to decide where to hurt next. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Other times he’d feel tired all day long no matter how much sleep he’d gotten the previous night, further worsening the already exhausting travel fatigue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d had shooting pains, headaches, shortness of breath. Almost too many ailments to count. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Something was most definitely wrong with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d read countless medical books in search of the answers, but the symptoms were so vastly </span>
  <em>
    <span>broad </span>
  </em>
  <span>pinpointing a cause was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then of course there was the others. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyrule was their assigned healer, yet he’d kept his symptoms from them for longer than he would admit. Most nights he would simply take a little sip of red potion and pray it would do its job come morning. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But it was impossible to hide for long. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hated making them worry. Little concerned faces glancing back at him as he trailed behind the group often made his own face flush up in embarrassment. He didn’t need to feel even more like a black sheep because of this. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They offered what they could to help though, despite them being just as clueless as to what exactly was happening to their poor teammate as he was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Warriors often took it upon himself to announce more frequent breaks while they were traveling. He never mentioned it was for Hyrule’s sake, yet everyone knew they were. And yes, they did help a bit…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Often if Hyrule had to take nightwatch, the seasoned insomniacs (Legend and Wild) would sit and talk with him, offering an outlet to vent his frustrations. That helped temporarily at least…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But it wasn’t until the chosen hero offered Hyrule massages for his achy muscles that a breakthrough was made. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyrule still remembered it clearly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was dusk in a quiet unknown forest, with nothing but the symphonies of crickets around them when Sky had offered to help first. Ordering the other hero to take off his tunic, Sky had at first been quick to rub gentle soothing circles into the traveler’s worn shoulders. Brief exhales of relief left his mouth as Sky continued to work. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then he stopped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A sudden featherlight finger ran itself down Hyrule’s spine, tracing the chain of bones. The hero had flinched at the sensation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey quit that! It tickles!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But the words out of Sky’s mouth were quiet and serious in tone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hyrule...your spine…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...What of it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...It’s curved…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d been confused at first. Weren’t all spines curved? Why was this cause for concern? But Sky had explained:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not it’s...curved sideways...it’s like an S shape…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a beat of silence as it finally dawned on the traveler. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hyrule that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not normal…”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Another beat followed as Hyrule rose from his seat, wordlessly throwing his tunic back over him with his back turned to Sky. When he did speak his tone was seemingly emotionless, yet his voice was quiet and barely above a whisper.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to go research this…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When he found the page about scoliosis in his medical encyclopedia he’d read over it once, twice, three times, each making him feel more numb and nauseous than the last. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Scoliosis: An abnormal sideways curvature of the spine which can result in pain and fatigue. Few known causes and no known cure. May continue to get considerably worse over time. Lifespan of sufferers is unknown. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Soon wet stains started to soak into the paper as the tears from Hyrule’s cheeks fell freely. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the answer to what was wrong with him, and yet knowing almost hurt just as bad as being none the wiser. An incurable curse. Something that would never go away. The reality of it all had come crashing down so fast on him. It was too much to bear all at once and the choked sobs that wracked through his body were all that could offer some sense of relief. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Sky had found him a half hour later, pulling the physically and emotionally exhausted traveler into his arms and running a hand through curly auburn locks, he knew that the other hero had found what he was looking for and that things would never be the same…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And they weren’t. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The entire attitude towards the traveler changed overnight once word got out about his ailment. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was no sooner than a day later that his fellow teammates would start to become hyper aware of his own needs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Breaks in journeys increased by the double. The crew often stopping every hour or even less, not even attempting to be subtle on who the breaks were intended for. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His occasional night time vents with two of his closer friends had been extended to the whole group now, it seemed. With even those he didn’t consider too close offering to let him talk. Each time he declined only further causing worry. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their offerings to him clearly came from a place of deep concern for his health and emotions and yet to Hyrule it was a double edged sword. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There were days he didn’t want to be babied or coddled just because he had this condition. Because as much as he would often claim he wasn’t, he knew deep down he was a hero like the rest of them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And heroes didn’t need to be doted over… </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <span>didn’t need to be doted over…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Except there were other days when he needed exactly that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He needed Sky’s skilled hands soothing his pain. He needed Wild’s comfort food after a long hard day. He needed Wind’s jokes and laughter. He needed Legend’s shoulder to cry on. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And they knew he did no matter how hard he would deny. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But no matter what, they couldn’t take his pain away. They couldn’t cure scoliosis. No one could. Which is what eventually prompted them to look further and try their damn hardest to find </span>
  <em>
    <span>some way</span>
  </em>
  <span> to make things just a little better. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>About two weeks after he was diagnosed, Hyrule was being herded into a room in Twilight’s Ordon house, hands over his eyes making him just a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tad </span>
  </em>
  <span>anxious. When asked what this was about or where he was going, the sailor had simply giggled and chirped “It’s a surprise!”  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With eyes newly uncovered five minutes later, the traveler took note of his surroundings. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The entire group stood beaming at him, Twilight holding a strange garment in his hands. The traveler raised a brow at it. It was a muted brown leather looking texture with belts and buckles going every which way. On each side were long sleeves who’s brown matched that of Hyrule’s shirt he wore under his tunic. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Noticing his confusion, Sky cleared his throat before explaining:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hyrule...we’ve done a little bit more research into your condition and with Twilight and Four’s sewing and leatherwork skills we’ve made you something that we believe might help alleviate some of your symptoms.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Handing the clothing to Hyrule, Sky gave the other hero a fond smile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...It’s called a back brace..a-and you don’t have to wear it of course! We just thoug-UNF!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The traveler’s body slammed into the chosen hero’s, embracing his older teammate in a squeezing tight hug, Sky gingerly relaxing into it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyrule wasn’t sure why it had taken him this long to realize. Perhaps it was his inner doubts about his own capabilities that had caused doubts about how his fellow heroes viewed him. Or perhaps it was simply just the recent flurry of emotions that had caused strange feelings of resentment to the others. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But right in that moment it became apparent. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They weren’t trying to baby him. They weren’t trying to make him feel weak or incapable or like the odd one out because he had a chronic condition. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This attention toward him. This was genuine </span>
  <em>
    <span>care </span>
  </em>
  <span>for his wellbeing. This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>love. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With glassy eyes Hyrule held on to Sky,  mumbling thank you after thank you and a few “I’m sorry”’s for good measure. It was Sky’s turn to be confused by this sudden clinginess by the recently distant Hyrule, but he held him back nonetheless, a few others joining the hug before it became a gentle dogpile full of laughter, warmth and happy tears. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something was wrong with Hyrule. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was an abnormality in his spine that would never go away and though his back brace would soon come to help in many ways, days where Hyrule could say he felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>normal </span>
  </em>
  <span>were few and far between. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had his good days. He had his bad days. He had days where he felt so happy he could sing and others where he would cry himself to sleep. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But maybe most importantly, Hyrule had eight heroes, eight teammates, eight </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span> and on the days he needed them most, they were always there for him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Things had been tough. Sometimes it was hard, near impossible to cope. But with them by his side, Hyrule believed he could get through this. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He had to try. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I thought this would be really difficult, like mentally, to write, but surprisingly not 🤷♀️</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Day of Dental Dilemma (Warriors)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Warriors has heard horror stories about the dentist and vows not to go. </p><p>Which is all well and good until you need a tooth pulled.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yay another “I am self inserting” fic. I actually had pretty severe dentophobia for like...ten years?? It was only really this year that I was all put forced to face my fear because of really nasty toothache (Seriously. One of the worst pains I’ve ever felt. It’s not fun at all). So yes. Wars is basically me here lol. Enjoy.</p><p>Also side note: not sure how this one got so long lol. Might be one of the longest ones in the series.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>You can’t hide it forever Link…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just tell them…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His own voice had been echoing through his head on loop for hours as the Captain tried to shake his own thoughts and pain away, to no avail. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Truth be told, Warriors was in a bit of a dilemma. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Overall he would’ve considered himself a health conscious person. He took pride in keeping himself fit and maintaining a balanced diet, and it showed! He was miles more agile and active than some of his other incarnations, though perhaps the military lifestyle had something to do with that too…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regardless though! His overall health wasn’t what had been plaguing him these past few days. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No. His problem stemmed from somewhere he’d been neglecting to care for these past few months and he was ultimately paying the price for: his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just as the captain was fond of caring for the rest of his body, he too made sure to keep his oral hygiene in check. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or...well...at least he used to. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For he had been able to continue exercising thanks to the group’s excessive travel and had been eating well thanks to the cook’s meals, but brushing his teeth? Brushing had been difficult… It was rare they were even in an inn or some other such place that had toothbrushes and toothpaste. Nor did himself or any of the others carry them around. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But so what if he no longer had a routine? Did it really matter </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>much? Warriors’ teeth were in great condition! There was no reason as why a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little </span>
  </em>
  <span>bit of neglect would do them any major harm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh how naive he had been. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He had started to notice a little niggling pain in his back molar just a few days ago but had shrugged it off, assuming it was food stuck in his gum or random jaw pain. But the next day, when the little pain still prevailed after a night’s sleep was when the captain began to worry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon, like a poetic tragedy, Warriors little predicament became a big, big problem. The occasional dull discomfort soon evolving into a throbbing ache which would cease to leave for hours on end. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had gone from a minor inconvenience at times, to impacting his daily life in ways he could never have imagined. His sleep schedule had been completely uprooted, his tooth was now the unmerciful decider of when he got rest. Even eating was becoming a challenge, for chewing on the opposite side of his mouth still sent painful shockwaves to his affected jaw. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors almost had to laugh at how silly this all was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>else at this point would have pointed out their terrible discomfort. Anyone else would have gone seeking treatment as soon as possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But why hadn’t Warriors? The answer was simple: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Because he was a damn coward. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well. No. It wasn’t as easy as that. The captain knew he was simplifying it down too much when he came to that conclusion. The real reason was because he’d had an unfortunate relationship with dentists over the years…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors was lucky, in that he’d never actually had to </span>
  <em>
    <span>visit </span>
  </em>
  <span>the dentist. It was reserved for mouth injuries and tooth problems within his military, so cosmetic visits were out of the question. But that didn’t mean that what happened in the dentist’s office didn’t spread through word of mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He recalled being a young recruit when he had first heard about the dentist. All through accidental eavesdropping on two men talking at the dinner table</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Did ya hear about the general?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“No, what about him?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Guy had to get his tooth pulled the other day. Ain’t never heard such a stoic guy scream like that before…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh Hylia...they must’ve really messed him up…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was silly. It was silly that a single passing conversation like that had left such an impact on the captain’s young mind. Yet ever since then, Warriors had vowed to take extra special care of his teeth, safe in the knowledge he would never end up in such a wretched place like the dentist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course now that plan had gone out the window...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just tell them!</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nagging demand prodded at his thoughts once more as Warriors tried to fall asleep. It was early evening and he had made the excuse to the others that he was simply tired. In reality, however, tonight seemed to be the first night in the last few days his tooth was being merciful to him. He desperately wanted to seize the opportunity for a decent night of sleep, but even now his own anxiety was preventing him from doing so. The distant voices of his companions only made the feeling worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon the sound of feet crunching through long grass approaching his resting spot made Warriors still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Captain?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The usually loud, but now soft spoken voice of the cook was hard to mistake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong Wild?” Warriors asked, raising himself from the bedroll. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was hoping to ask you that question…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The captain’s stomach dropped. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been acting so strange…” Wild elaborated. “You seem more irritable than usual...and don’t think I haven’t noticed you leaving your dinner! It’s so unlike you to waste food. What’s wrong? Are you sick or something?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Trust the champion to be blunt and to the point…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors swallowed. It would be near impossible to lie his way out of this. He could feign a stomach bug or flu but he knew that would only lead to the group doting on him and wondering why he wasn’t getting better. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a shaky sigh, the captain decided it was time to put his own fear and embarrassment aside. He couldn’t take this anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a toothache…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He spoke quietly, refusing to look the champion in the eyes as a small blush tinted his cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… how long have you-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Few days…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild’s eyes widened, looking down stunned at his companion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A few days?! Wars why didn’t you say anything?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to halt our progress.” Warriors mumbled, though he was barely able to conceal the lie. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild didn’t seem entirely convinced either, muttering an exasperated </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Hylia…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>under his breath before continuing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well we ought to do something about it then? Let’s go tell Hyrule and-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“No!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sweet Hylia. Warriors didn’t want this to be an even worse experience! While the captain considered the traveler a trustworthy friend and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>proved to be an exceptional group healer, Hyrule had never performed dentistry before. Warriors was already terrified. He would rather shake with fear under a qualified dentist than in the hands of one of his own teammates. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I...I want to get treated by a dentist…” Warriors mumbled, hoping the cook would understand his plight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wild however, frowned and gave Warriors the answer he didn’t wish to hear:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Captain...I don’t think that we’ll be anywhere near a dentist for days…we’re still not sure who’s Hyrule we’re in right now, remember? It could take ages to find a village and even then there may be nowhere around that offers such services…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hylia damn it, Wild was right. Warriors couldn’t help but feel a small bout of nausea at the realization he had no other option. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You want me to go and talk to him for you?” Asked Wild, the captain giving a small but unenthusiastic head nod as Wild got up and left. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No less than twenty minutes later, Warriors was sitting with his back propped up to a log, the Hero of Hyrule in front of him laying out a variety of different tools and reading labels on potions. A dim firelight was all they had illuminating the scene but it was better than nothing. The voices of the others were now further still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The captain hoped his nervousness wasn’t showing. It seemed too dark for the sweat on his forehead and palms to be noticeable, but his unusual silence probably spoke volumes already. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should’ve told me earlier.” Hyrule tutted quietly as he worked. “Toothaches are no laughing matter. Luckily I’ve had to pull a few of my own teeth, so I know the procedure!” To prove his point, Hyrule hooked his lip with his finger, revealing a smile with a few noticeable missing molars. Warriors could only offer a halfhearted fake smile back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Hyrule. Gosh, the traveler was perhaps one of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>most </span>
  </em>
  <span>trustworthy of the group. But his own fear of getting dental work done was </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>starting to get to him seeing all these devices and tools that would soon be prodding and poking at his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright!” Hyrule chirped, pulling the captain away from his thoughts. “I’m ready now, open up!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was it. The moment of truth. He knew there was no backing out of it now. Whatever pain and agony was to come would be something he’d have to grin and bare. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suppressing a shaky sigh, he opened his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a moment of little happening to begin with, which Warriors wasn’t sure he was thankful for or whether it upped his anxiety tenfold. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yikes…” Hyrule hissed, looking at the afflicted tooth. “That’s a pretty bad cavity...no wonder you were in such pain…”. He offered a look of sympathy to the older hero while Warriors could do nothing but sit agonizingly still in fear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning around, Hyrule pulled out a small potion bottle filled with a cloudy gel, offering little warning before drizzling some on to his hand and sticking a finger into Warriors’ mouth, rubbing the substance into his gum. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wha ah you doin!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Choked the poor startled man, struggling to talk with the finger intruding his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Sorry!” Hyrule answered sheepishly. “I should really be explaining these things shouldn’t I? This is oral numbing gel. I mixed this together myself after researching pain medicines. It should, theoretically stop this procedure from being too sore…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So this was Hyrule’s own invention? A strange mix of relief mixed with his anxiety in the pit of his stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Should this “oral numbing gel” work, perhaps this would be a less humiliating procedure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Should </span>
  </em>
  <span>it work…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Removing his finger from the captain’s mouth, Hyrule gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry again, I really should have warned you before I barged in there like that. Now we just have to wait a couple minutes for the gel to take effect.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>More waiting. Hylia, this was torture. He just wanted to get this over and done with…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After an awkward beat, Hyrule spoke again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So...you’ve never had dental work done I take it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The captain shook his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps that’s for the best…” Hyrule mumbled. “I know of some pretty crappy dentists, at least in my era. But I’d like to think I’ve developed a knack for it!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It soon became clear to the brunette, however, that Warriors was in no mood for conversation (clearly far too nervous). Hyrule shut his mouth, occupying himself as they waited, hoping Warriors would be able to trust him enough for the upcoming procedure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After what felt like hours in the captain’s mind, Hyrule finally sat in front of him again, prompting him to open wide, this time offering forewarning before sticking a finger in the other man’s mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Prodding at Warriors’ gum, Hyrule questioned “Can you feel that very well?” When the answer was no, Hyrule couldn’t contain his excitement upon knowing his little invention had worked wonders. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Turning around, Hyrule finally pulled out a tool which looked formidable, a pair of thick metal clamps. Warriors was sure he knew what they were for, but the fear didn’t truly set in until Hyrule announced “Let’s do this”. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors could feel his heart thump against his ribs. Why was he so </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was the captain, the leader. He wasn’t meant to get terrified over such trivial things-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Captain?” Hyrule questioned gently, looking down at his patient with concern. “Are you ready for this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Closing his eyes and drawing in a shaky breath, Warriors let out an “aha…” through his open mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was now or never. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The clamps tightened around his tooth and Warriors tensed. He felt hypersensitive almost, noticing Hyrule’s own breath against his face as the traveler looked on with skewed concentration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When his tooth began to wiggle was when Warriors closed his eyes, fighting back tears that threatened to rise. A pressure was building, any minute now the pain would start to seer through him. He just knew it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“C’mon now..” Hyrule grunted, as if trying to coax the tooth out with words. It was clearly strenuous work for him. The pressure was getting worse. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A minute or so in of wobbling the tooth back and forth, Warriors felt as if he was reaching his breaking point. The heavy feeling in his tooth and surrounding gum was almost too much to bare. It was going to hurt! It was going to hurt any second now! Warriors was literally on the cusp of telling Hyrule to stop-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then there was numbness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Suddenly the pressure left the captain entirely and he opened his eyes in a confused daze as he felt a rag being shoved into his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In front of him Hyrule sat proudly, holding in his hand the clamps and in between which was a rather miserable looking tooth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That….was it? It was over?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors had to blink in surprise, reaching up to feel his cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No pain, no embarrassment. The tooth was gone!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once again the captain had to suppress the urge to laugh at his own silliness. All this worrying and anxiety and letting himself be in prolonged pain all just for a little pressure. That was all it took. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hyrule laid the tooth aside, turning back around before offering the other hero a small bottle of red potion, encoring him to drink it to help stop the bleeding and discourage any after pain. Warriors did as he was told, downing the crimson liquid in a few gulps. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That wasn’t too bad right?” He queried, causing Warriors to blush. Perhaps his nervousness </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>been a little too obvious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Noh’ at all” he replied, still talking a tad funny from the numbing gel. “Tank you Hyrule…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was no trouble” smiled Hyrule as he turned to pack up his stuff. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As both were about to leave, Hyrule gave one last piece of information to his patient:</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I hope you sleep well, captain. If you need any extra red potion don’t hesitate to wake me up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Warriors nodded and Hyrule looked as if he was about to leave before he opened his mouth again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh and by the way?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You were really brave tonight”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last sentence was little more than a whisper, the praise prompting a blush and small squeak of “thanks” from Warriors. Hyrule let out an amused huff before leaving for good. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That night, Warriors could finally rest easy, knowing he wouldn’t be woken by horrible pain anymore as his tongue ran over the new gap in the back of his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was lucky to have such a skilled and caring dentist and healer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were all lucky to have Hyrule. </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The moral of the story is that dentists aren’t that bad or scary. I promise. Face your fears kids. You’re all brave like Wars I know you guys can!!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Nice To Meat You (Sky)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sky eats new food that doesn’t quite agree with him.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Long time no see fellas. </p>
<p>Writing has been real tough these past few months and the urge to write has been on and off at most. But I’m feeling a bit of a new lease of inspiration for these ficlets specifically and I wanna see how far I can go!</p>
<p>Content warning also for this chapter:<br/>Mentions of nausea and vomiting. But nothing graphic. </p>
<p>Takes place very shortly after the group first meet.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>For the fifth time that night the chosen hero had to suppress a groan as he held his arms protectively around his stomach. The poor organ let out another embarrassingly loud gurgle, making Sky blush as he buried himself further into the pillow. The rest of his newfound companions were all fast asleep, snoring softly in their own respective spots. But Sky lay awake in a silent and pained panic. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He wasn’t sure exactly what had caused this awful stomach ache… but he had a sneaking suspicion. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Come dinner time just a few hours ago everyone had been starting to get hungry, yet no one seemed to mention anything. The awkwardness of being in this new group left them all silent, no one being quite brave enough to bring up their needs. It wasn’t until the blue clad hero, the one with the scars, had loudly complained about his empty stomach that everyone else had sighed with relief and nodded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Fortunately for them the scarred one had proclaimed he was a decent cook. Not only that, but the strange technology he carried with him had the ability to store food and cutlery! (Everyone was pretty impressed by that). No sooner had he announced this than he was already gathering ingredients and preparing, what Sky assumed, was some kind of soup. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The blue clad Link’s ingredients were… strange though. Sky recognized a few, like the oddly shaped but obvious carrots and the large radishes he cut up and tossed in the pot. But he couldn’t help but stare in odd curiosity as the cook began preparing something completely foreign. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The mystery food was rather disturbing looking. Both it’s inside and out were a dark pinkish-red, the texture looking squishy yet firm. Whatever it was also looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>far </span>
  </em>
  <span>too large and bulky to be a fruit or vegetable. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky was completely baffled to say the least. But he didn’t say anything at the time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After all, he wouldn’t lie that while whatever it was was cooking it had smelled damn </span>
  <em>
    <span>good. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The other heroes hadn’t said a word about the strange food either and they were all practically watering at the mouth in temptation. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky, after a while, had simply come to the conclusion that the strange food was something that didn’t exist on Skyloft. No matter though! He wasn’t a picky eater by any means. He had no qualms with trying something new, especially in this scenario. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And Sky would admit, once he was handed a bowl of the strange concoction and he had taken a spoonful it wasn’t too bad. The taste certainly threw him off though. It was savory, a little bit salty and far richer than anything he’d ever eaten. He’d managed to get through about half a bowl of it before he decided he’d had enough of this new and overwhelming taste, making a sheepish little white lie in saying he was full. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had all seemed fine then, and everyone else had started conversing with each other in friendly banter once they’d finished their food. But not long after he’d settled down to chat did Sky notice a little tight sensation in his stomach. It wasn’t until later when the group had decided to call it a night that it had evolved into a full on stomach ache. With nasty bloating and a small sense of nausea to boot. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But Sky still hadn’t said a word. He seemed to be the only one with this problem as everyone else was settling down to sleep. Besides, it surely would’ve been extremely rude to tell the cook who he’d only just met that his food had harmed him…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately though, this had left the poor hero silently suffering as a result. He’d been lying awake for the past hour as his belly violently churned with no relief in sight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, Sky had gone over all the possibilities. Perhaps he was falling ill with a stomach bug? Except, no, he’d surely be sprouting a temperature by now if that were the case. No, whatever it was had to be related to that strange food…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He’d heard rumors of a person in the Knight Academy back on Skyloft who couldn’t eat pumpkin. Apparently it brought their skin out in a rash. Perhaps he was suffering something similar to that? Though that was still just an unconfirmed rumor. He had no idea whether a reaction like that to food was even possible… </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hated to admit it, but in his desperate internal search for an answer he’d even considered poisoning, though he’d immediately chastised himself for such a thought. Why on earth would he have been poisoned by a fellow hero of Hylia of all people?!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At the end of the day his mind was drawing a blank and the fact he couldn’t come up with a solid answer only made him feel further anxious and sick. He would have to endure it though. Unless he started to feel far worse. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>In an attempt to see if he could relieve some pressure, the hero rose from his bedroll, hoping that the sitting position might’ve been easier on his stomach. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That was a mistake. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sudden change in elevation only caused a more violent cramp as Sky doubled over, clutching himself with a hiss. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you ok?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Were Sky not in significant pain he would’ve had his blade drawn and ready at the source of the whisper behind him. Instead he whipped his head around to stare at whoever shocked him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah! Jeez.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky relaxed slightly as he recognized the voice more clearly and could make out the other Link’s silhouette in the darkness. It was the youngest of the group. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry I scared you.” Wind whispered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky gave a weak groan of response, pausing before asking “Why are you up?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bathroom break.” Wind stated nonchalantly. “...Seriously though, what’s up with you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky was silent, pursing his lips. He wasn’t really sure how much the youngest would fuss if he told him but lying didn’t seem like the right option here. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“My stomach hurts…” He spoke quietly. “Real bad…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was an awkward beat of silence as Wind seemingly didn’t know quite how to react. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you sick?” He finally pondered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky shook his head lightly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sumin’ in the food...I think” he mumbled, embarrassed to be admitting it when he was clearly the only one suffering. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh…” Wind cocked his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“All that was in that stew was meat and veggies I think…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Meat...Sky finally had a word for his mystery ingredient. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s meat?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wind blinked several times. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You...don’t have meat where you’re from?” He asked dumbfounded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Admitted a sheepish Sky. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Like, you don’t eat animals?” Wind further questioned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Eat animals? </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Skyloft didn’t have the most diverse ecosystem. In fact all he could think of that shared inhabitants with the Skyloftians were their loftwings and the remlits. Perhaps maybe the odd bug or two as well. But the thought of </span>
  <em>
    <span>eating </span>
  </em>
  <span>one of those?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky felt his stomach tighten even more. As he shook his head again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well that probably explains the tummy ache” Wind concluded, Sky sparing him a curious look. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not used to the food.” the youngest explained. “Like uh, when I was a kid I used to only eat fish because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>refused </span>
  </em>
  <span>to eat pork when I found out it came from the cute pigs on our island. When I finally did try it I had a reaction similar to yours.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wind paused his story to let out an amused huff</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Grandma didn’t much appreciate me hurling all over the floor.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He started chuckling but quickly stopped and cleared his throat when he noticed the mention of throwing up was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>helping the chosen hero very much. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Point being is, your body just needs to get used to it. I can eat meat pretty easy now, but the first few times weren’t very pleasant.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I see…” Sky stated softly, looking down at his stomach with new, albeit vaguely horrifying context. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You uh...you might wanna mention it to the cook that you’re not used to meat.” Wind suggested, but upon seeing how concerned Sky looked he added “Or tell him you don’t wanna eat meat at all! I’d understand why.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll.. I’ll think about it” said Sky. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was silence again until Wind turned over, rooting in his belongings that lay next to his bedroll. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Here catch.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky let out a “woah!” as a small object was thrown at him. His hands cupped around it catching it as he felt the unmistakable feeling of a glass vial in his palms. Looking down at it the bright red liquid was just about distinguishable in the moonlight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A healing potion. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I have no idea will it work, but maybe this might help your tummy feel better…” Wind spoke, joining two fingers together shyly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky felt a warm sense of appreciation in his chest, making a welcome distraction from his churning gut. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A-are you sure?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course!” the youngest chirped. “Anything to help a friend.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Friend. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yeah… friend. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sky smiled for the first time in a while that night, offering his thanks Wind as the other hero waved him off while he got up to relieve himself. Not long after he took small sips of the potion before laying back down and praying to Hylia it would at least offer some relief. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His prayers seemed to be answered as slowly but surely his nasty cramps started to fade away to a mild ache and then to an entirely settled stomach. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Before he felt himself start to lose consciousness to sleep, he made a mental note to talk with the cook tomorrow. Maybe then he could make some sort of arrangement to get a meat free dinner in future. Or not. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about it all yet. Sleeping on it would help. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While that was Sky’s first taste of meat, it was also part of his first taste of life outside his little island. Though he’d been on the surface before, it seemed that life in other eras of Hyrule was even more vastly different than he’d imagined. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was strange, even overwhelming at times. But he knew he could at least count on the support of Hylia’s other heroes. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Vegan Sky and pescatarian Wind my beloved.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Scratching The Itch (Twilight)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Twilight suffers from a rather embarrassing problem and is given a rather embarrassing solution.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not sure how I managed to have the motivation to pump this out. Maybe because it’s the perfect chapter for April Fools. </p>
<p>A little bit of humor in the middle of this story to break up the H/C ; )</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Scratch scratch scratch.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There it was again. That damn infernal sound ringing in his ears. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four was about to combust. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A familiar voice in his head was practically </span>
  <em>
    <span>screaming </span>
  </em>
  <span>at this point and he honestly couldn’t blame him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They’d been walking for a few hours now and it had been going surprisingly well. They’d not run into monsters or been ambushed. No one had needed to take a break yet. The group morale was high despite the long journey. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And Four so </span>
  <em>
    <span>desperately </span>
  </em>
  <span>wanted to be part of the high morale but something seemingly small had caught his attention. Something that, as it kept repeating, was driving the smallest hero up the wall. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight would </span>
  <em>
    <span>not stop scratching his head!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was silly really, the fact Four had even noticed it in the first place. But once he picked up on the repeating habit it became hard to ignore. Like nails on a chalkboard or forks scraping cutlery, the subtle </span>
  <em>
    <span>scratch scratch scratch </span>
  </em>
  <span>had somehow evolved into an agonizing sound that sent the smith into a little ball of fury, eyes blaring blue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The worst part was that no one else seemed to have noticed. Well, no one apart from Twilight himself. The ranch hand was noticeably irritated by whatever was itching him. Four could only assume it was a bad case of dandruff. Or Hylia forbid, he had lice (which was why the smith was attempting to stay well away). </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four would admit he had to suppress the biggest sigh of relief when their village destination finally appeared in sight on the horizon. At last some peace and quiet. His eyes flickered purple. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though, aside from his own personal peeves, Four did internally hope that Twilight was ok. Whatever was irritating him seemed to be getting to him pretty bad. He hoped the ranch hand would find some form of relief once they reached the village.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four had mostly forgotten about his ordeal after that. Once he settled into an inn and ensconced himself in a good book it was nothing more than a bad memory. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next day, however, it would all come flooding back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was around afternoon time that he sat on the outskirts of the village, having casual conversation with Hyrule and Legend under the shade of a large oak tree. Nearby, Time was with Wild as the two were getting ready to prepare lunch at a communal cooking pot. Twilight had claimed he was staying at the inn with Sky and Warriors but he had clearly lied when the four paws of a wolf were heard bounding over to Wind, prompting the youngest to play with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four couldn’t help but smile as the wolf barked, chasing after the sailor who was giggling like a mad man. Soon after “catching” Wind the two were on the ground in a pile of cuddles and pets. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He knew for Twi this was therapeutic. The man was born to be around children. He’d been so used to playing with the Ordon kids that come joining the other Links he’d found himself quite lonely for the company of someone young. Wind by all means wasn’t a child. He usually rejected Twilight’s offers for friendly games of tag or small non-competitive footraces. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wolfie </span>
  </em>
  <span>however. Well Wolfie was a big silly puppy and Wind of course would mess around with him. It was a sneaky tactic for sure, but one that gave Twilight immense happiness and reminded him of home. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All was calm and peaceful as Four started to zone out listening to Wind’s laughter and Legend’s tales of his adventures. He’d only managed to close his eyes for a few seconds until the sailor’s shrill shriek filled the air. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Immediately all attention was on him. Legend had sprung to action, weapon drawn in a split second from years of instinct. Over by the cooking pot, Time too was about to get up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>On the grass, Wolfie had seemingly been thrown away from Wind. The canine was stumbling to his feet looking very confused and little betrayed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sailor wh-“ yelled Wild before Wind interrupted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“Wolfie has fleas!” </em>
  </b>
  <span>The youngest cringed in disgust. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A lot happened within the next few moments. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four felt his skin crawl as an internal voice immediately spoke up:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“See! See! I fuckin’ told you he had lice or something!”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With the momentary panic gone, Wild and Time exchanged a deadpanned look at each other, almost as if they’d been expecting this. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Legend wasted no time in bursting into loud, snorting laughter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wolfie himself looked to be experiencing a whole range of embarrassing emotions with his ears pinned back and his tail between his legs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Poor Hyrule just looked confused. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Euughh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Gross!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Wind commented, wiping his hands on his tunic for dramatic effect. “You need a bath Mr!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The wolf shot around to glare at him and before anyone could say anything Hyrule, just as oblivious as Wind in this situation, piped up:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey. There’s a lake right over there. You want me to fetch some soap?”  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wind’s eyes lit up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold on a minute now.” Time interjected. “We don’t have to-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh c’mon Time.” Legend spoke with a smirk, finally finished his laughing spree. “You don’t want our companion to suffer with </span>
  <em>
    <span>fleas </span>
  </em>
  <span>do you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Time shot Legend a glare as a low growl emanated from the wolf. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey quit growlin’!” Wind scolded, pointing a finger at the angry canine. “Not our fault you’re flea ridden. C’mon you’ll feel better after this, I promise!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed this was going to happen whether the wolf liked it or not as Hyrule got to his feet and jogged back to the inn. And with little word in edgeway from Time (who seemed to be the only person, bar Twilight himself, against the idea) Four watched as his friend was herded toward the water. He was clearly looking for some escape route but it seemed he didn’t quite have the heart to run away from the youngest, who was giving him encouraging praise. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Following suit, an amused looking Wild offered to help bathe the wolf, earning another growl from Wolfie and an exasperated sigh from Time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four watched on, propping himself against a boulder by the lake with Legend and Time, as Twilight took the walk of shame into the water. He’d never quite seen an animal be able to emote embarrassment quite the same way Wolfie was doing now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hyrule returned moments later with a bar of soap and brush in hand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And wordlessly they all watched as their friend in his wolf form was bathed and scrubbed free of fleas. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hylia. Four hadn’t even fully registered the absurdity of this scenario until now. And he couldn’t help it. His eyes sparked red and a soft giggle left his lips, in turn prompting a louder laugh from Legend who was holding one in the whole time. Even Time let out a low chuckle as the wolf whined upon hearing them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Awww. Good boy. It’s ok, nearly done.” Assured Wind, washing away the mucky suds with cupped hands of cold lake water. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh yes, such a good boy. Yes you are” Wild cooed in a baby voice, clearly enjoying himself way too much at Twilight’s expense. If looks could kill Wild would’ve been a goner for sure. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The wolf let out a groan and resigned himself to his fate, allowing the duo to apply a few more generous lathers before he was washed off and prompted out of the lake, fur sopping wet and clumpy. (Though he made sure to shake himself off and thoroughly soak Wild in the process.) </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They wrapped him up in a towel once they reached their previous spot. Wind rubbed him dry for a while before leaving the rest of his wet fur to air dry as the sailor went to join Wild and Time at the cooking pot. It gave Twilight just enough time to quietly skulk off, not before sending a warning look to the trio under the tree, a clear message to Legend and Four not to snitch on him. Reluctantly, they all obliged. Legend later explained to Wind that Wolfie had “gone off to sulk”. Four suspected that wasn’t entirely untrue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t until about an hour later when lunch was ready that the group saw “Wolfie” again. Or rather, Twilight. He awkwardly and wordlessly made his way to the cooking pot with Warriors and Sky, several knowing eyes on him making his cheeks flush a few shades darker. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Reluctantly he sat next to the smith as Four spared a sideways glance, noticing how fluffy and clean the ranch hand’s hair looked compared to earlier. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t help but giggle. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight whipped round to glare at him, near pouting as the smith tried to shut himself up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not. A. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Word.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm? What? I wasn’t saying anything.” Four replied in a playful tone. “Is there something you’d like to share?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look it’s not my fault!” The ranch hand hissed quietly and angrily. “Last village we were at...there were some other dogs and-“</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh </span>
  <em>
    <span>huh...”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Forget it.” The brunette grumbled, crossing his arms in a sulk. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Four gave an exasperated sigh and moved to give Twilight’s back a gentle pat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Feel better now at least, big guy? Now that your little </span>
  <em>
    <span>problem </span>
  </em>
  <span>is taken care of?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twilight pursed his lips, a small mumbled of “I guess…” leaving him as he ran a hand through his much cleaner and flea-free hair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And that was how, among those who knew his secrets, Twilight earned the nickname “Fleabag”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know this was very much threading the line of what counts as a “sickfic” but shhhh shhhhhh</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It’s not gay if you kiss the homies in wolf form</p><p>(Edit: I didn’t realize that this would appear at the end of every chapter but now I’m leaving it here for comedic effect)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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